HOUSTON - The defending Conference USA champion Rice swim team opens its 2013-2014 season with a dual meet against national power Texas on Friday at 4 pm in Austin.

Rice returns a total of 19 letterwinners from last season's team that won the the program's second C-USA Championship in the last three years. The Owls added five newcomers to the roster and began training at the start of the school year. So far Rice head coach Seth Huston, the three-time C-USA Coach of the Year who is now in his 12th season at the helm of the program, has liked the progress the team has made. Check out his preview of the team in the below video.